Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600E

Processor comparisons 24-03-2021

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600E and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, streaming, rendering, video editing, programming. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, VeraCrypt, WPrime, Gears 5, Handbrake, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, SuperPi, RealBench, Furmark, Blender, Prime95, 7zip, PCMark 10, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, AIDA64.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Fortnite
Rainbow Six Siege
Grand Theft Auto V
Cyberpunk 2077
Last Man Standing
Watch Dogs Legion
Halo Infinite
Valheim
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Overwatch
Valorant
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
DOOM: Eternal
Red Dead Redemption 2
Fallout 76
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Death Stranding
Borderlands 3
Apex Legends

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 2600E or Intel Core i7-6950X.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i7-6950X

55%

Ryzen 5 2600E

54%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-6950X is 1% better than Ryzen 5 2600E. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6950X

56%

Ryzen 5 2600E

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Forza Horizon 4, Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Half-Life: Alyx, DOTA 2A, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Ghostrunner, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	94.2
Valorant	113.0	107.0
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	59.9
Apex Legends	106.2	100.6
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	80.3
Overwatch	91.5	86.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	73.8
DOOM Eternal	56.5	53.5
Warzone	88.1	83.5
Assassin's Creed	94.9	89.9
Valheim	93.8	88.8

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-6950X

28%

Ryzen 5 2600E

77%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 5 2600E is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X as it consumes less power: 140W vs. 45W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 2600E
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	171
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	1339
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	408
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	2957
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	1042
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	7289

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 2600E
Single-Core	2377	2365
Multi-Core	17125	13612

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 2600E
Single-Core	1204	1049
Multi-Core	11187	6043

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 2600E
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	September 01, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA2011-v3	AM4
Core name	Broadwell E	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	x86	Zen
Generation	6	2
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	4 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	10	6
Threads	20	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count		3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	45 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		2667
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		578KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	25 MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YD260EBHM6IAF YD260EBHAFMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 2600E is 3% better than Core i7-6950X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 4 more core than Ryzen 5 2600E. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-6950X is better: 25
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 2600E is better: 11
However, it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-6950X and AMD Ryzen 5 2600E before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i7-6950X - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i7-6950X specs and review.

AMD Ryzen 5 2600E - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600E specs and review.